


Water, Sweet Water

by claudiasgothgf



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Panic, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Swimming, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 12:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16325894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudiasgothgf/pseuds/claudiasgothgf
Summary: "Then what are we here for?" Rayla asked, turning her attention back to the task at hand."That." Claudia pointed to the lake. "We're going to swim!"Rayla felt her stomach contort itself a hundred different ways. Swim?"I...I can't swim." Rayla admitted in a murmur. Shame crept through her.Claudia paused for a moment before lighting up again. "That's okay! I'll teach you!"~~~~~In which Claudia teaches Rayla to swim, and Rayla tries not to panic.





	Water, Sweet Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [koffeebean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koffeebean/gifts).



Rayla stood on the bank of the river, looking at the water in front of her. A chill ran down her spine despite the warm day.  
  
_Come on!_ She took a deep breath. _You can do this!_ She closed her eyes and got ready to jump.   
  
Then she cracked an eye open and saw Claudia. Claudia and her lovely smile just a few feet in front of her, waist deep in water.   
  
Cool, deep, suffocating water. Waves that toss you violently and drag you downwards. Mud at the bottom that clings to your feet, and keeps you stuck in place. Reeds and plants that tangle your limbs and drag you further into their briny depths.  
  
Rayla's heartbeat pounded in her ears. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. She jumped back a few feet and let out a roar of frustration. "I can't do it!" She screamed and covered her burning face with her hands.   
  
_Great job_. Rayla told herself as she wallowed in embarrassment behind her hands. _What must she think now?_  
  
After a moment, she heard the light splash of water and soon felt a hand over her own.   
  
"Hey," Claudia soothed. "It's okay! You can do this!"  
  
Rayla uncovered her face and shook her head. "No, I can't." She said quietly. "It's impossible."  
  
"Impossible is just another kind of possible!" Claudia declared, tapping the tip of Rayla's nose with her finger. "We'll just have to try again."   
  
Rayla gave a small smile and nodded, and Claudia gave her one of her own dazzling smiles in return.  


* * *

  
  
_"Psst- Rayla!" Claudia whisper-shouted as she poked the elf's shoulder until she had her attention._  
  
_"What?" Rayla asked, pretending to be annoyed. She could very rarely be truly annoyed around Claudia._  
  
_"Do you wanna do something fun?" There was a dazzling smile on Claudia's face and a mischievous glint in her eye._  
  
_"How fun?"_  
  
_"I'll show you."_  


* * *

  
  
Rayla held on to Claudia's hands for dear life as she slowly walked towards the water.  
  
_It's okay._ She assured herself. _You'll be okay._  
  
Slowly, oh so slowly, she took baby steps towards the water until-  
  
The sun warmed grass slipped from under her feet and was replaced with ankle high, cold water.   
  
Rayla looked down at her feet and back up at Claudia with a grin. "I did it." She remarked quietly, as if in dismay. Then louder. "I did it!"  
  
"You did it!" Claudia joined in, throwing both their arms in the air. "I told you you could."   
  
As she spoke, Claudia oh-so-subtly walked backwards, pulling Rayla along with her until they were both waist deep in the water.  
  
"Now comes the fun part." Claudia announced, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Swimming!"  
  
Suddenly, Rayla's face dropped, and she was filled with a new kind of terror entirely.   


* * *

  
  
_Sun shone down on the clearing from above, coaxing out birds and butterflies and all manner of creatures. It warmed the grass beneath their feet and the clothes on their backs as Rayla and Claudia stood staring at this lake hidden away in the depths of the forest._  
  
_"It's beautiful!" Rayla exclaimed in wonder, turning her head to follow the path of a passing bumble bee._  
  
_"I know! But the scenery isn't why we're here." Claudia said cryptically._  
  
_"Then what are we here for?" Rayla asked, turning her attention back to the task at hand._  
  
_"That." Claudia pointed to the lake. "We're going to swim!"_  
  
_Rayla felt her stomach contort itself a hundred different ways. **Swim?**_  
  
_"I...I can't swim." Rayla admitted in a murmur. Shame crept through her._  
  
_Claudia paused for a moment before lighting up again. "That's okay! I'll teach you!"_

 

* * *

  
  
Rayla floated on her back, staring up at the sky. A blue canvas dotted with white blotches and the portrait of an angel.  
  
Claudia looked down at a very terrified Rayla with a grin. "You're doing great! Now, just kick your legs and move your arms up and down, like paddles!" She held Rayla's shoulders tight in case she floated off and moved her body backwards in case she got smacked in the face.  
  
Rayla could tell that she had no idea what she was talking about, but appreciated that she was trying. She took a long deep breath and followed Claudia's instructions.  
  
Wait...this is actually kind of fun! Rayla realised as she continued. She didn't expect that she'd enjoy herself doing this.  
  
Claudia laughed. "See! Now you've got it!" She sounded like a proud parent as she spoke. "Okay, I'll let go of your shoulders-"  
  
Rayla cut her off in an instant. "Are you insane?!"  
  
"I'm going to be right here if something happens." Claudia explained, choosing to ignore Rayla's comment.  
  
"In three...two...one!"  
  
Suddenly, the support around Rayla's shoulders was lifted.  
  
You got this. She told herself as she continued her movements (although they were much more frantic now). Just keep going!  
  
Soon, Rayla realised that she was moving. Actually moving. Swimming.  
  
She opened her eyes and glee filled her. "I'm doing it!" She shouted, moving faster. "Claudia, I'm swimming!"  
  
"You're swimming!" Claudia shouted in elation, jumping up and down in the water.  
  
Rayla kept going until she had reached Claudia once more. There, she stood up and faced her friend with a soft smile.  
  
"And it's all thanks to you." She took Claudia's hands in hers, feeling her face warm up.  
  
Claudia shrugged in that adorable way of hers, and squeezed Rayla's hands.  
  
Nothing was said, and at the same time everything was said.  
  
A glint appeard in Claudia's eyes before she leant forward and pressed a light kiss to Rayla's lips.  
  
Rayla felt an electric shock pulse through her as Claudia's lips connected with hers, and she barely had a chance to kiss back before it was over.   
  
Claudia stepped back with a grin, and Rayla was left blushing from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.   
  
"I- you just- huh?!" Was the most coherent sentence that she could string together.  
  
Claudia laughed, a red hue creeping on to her own face as she tapped Rayla's nose.  
  
"Bet you can't catch me."  
  
And with that, she was gone into the water.  
  
Rayla wondered for a split second if what was happening was real, before deciding that she didn't care. Smiling, she followed Claudia.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this oneshot, which is based on a prompt of Claudia teaching Rayla to swim. (I'm sorry that it's so short!!) 
> 
> If you did enjoy it please leave a kudos or a comment telling me what you thought of it!! - A.C. xx


End file.
